Gems of Advent
by NamiLoveless
Summary: Long ago, the evil Goddess Tsu defeated the king of all gods, who sealed himself into 7 jewels. Tsu turned into a human to find those jewels. But the battle isn't over yet...
1. Prologue

Long ago, even before the Four Legends existed, the king of all gods, Ragnarok, was defeated by the evil goddess Tsu in the Land of the Maple Gods.

The Dark Goddess Tsu tried to absorb his power. But before she could complete her plan, Ragnarok sealed his soul and power into seven different gems, which fell down to the depths of the earth. Tsu tried to enter Earth to find them, but realized that she could not in her goddess form. So she fell into a deep slumber, and as she slept, the Four Legends were created, and eventually, Tsu awoke in the present day. She gathered a group of followers, whom she named the Death Angels, took a human form, and went into hiding, hunting and killing for the sacred gems.

"It is time…I have waited too long on this low-life planet. Let us begin the search."

**Next Chapter—Chapter 1: The Search Begins**


	2. The Search Begins

A/N: Chapter 1 is up, and thanks to Ryuken9 for letting me use his idea. Especially since I have no ideas of my own at the moment. Hehe…Anyway, I hope you enjoy _Gems of Advent_, even if the chapters turn out too short or something else you don't like. But enough of this nonsense, let's get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own MapleStory or this idea. I'm just the messenger. Ryuken9 owns this idea.

P.S. This is the revised chapter.

-0-

Tsu paced back and forth in the almost empty, yet colorful room, deep in thought. "I have found one of the gems, after all this time…" She thought out loud, fingering one of her blue locks of hair, and her lips curled into a smirk. "I shall start with the Emerald of Dexterity." She looked up and turned to one of her servants in the room. "Domo!"

Domo jumped, surprised by her sudden outburst. "Yes? What is your command?"

"Get me the Emerald of Dexterity," she commanded, giving him a steely look. Hadn't he heard her monologue?

"Y-Yes, Shoji and I will fetch it for you," Domo stammered, unnerved by her piercing look. He turned to his servant, Shoji, who was gazing off into the distance dreamily. "Isn't that right?"

Shoji snapped out of his reverie quickly. "Yes!" Shoji yelled, a little too loudly for Domo's comfort, who winced. "We shall get right on it, mistress."

"Good," Tsu said, amused by her subordinate's reactions. She reached into her pocket. "Here is where it is," she added, carelessly tossing a piece of paper to the floor. The Death Angel picked it up off the floor with his gloved hand and examined it. He beckoned to Shoji, who grabbed the map, and the two of them walked out of the room. The goddess smirked, as she turned to the chair behind her and settled down into the plush seat.

Now it was time to wait.

-0-

'_What is Goddess Tsu up to these days?_' Domo thought as he walked along the streets of Ludibrium, his ever-loyal servant tagging along after him. Lately, the castle had been in chaos, as their group's goddess had finally taken human form and come down to the world. But was there really a need to start so soon?

The other Death Angels had mixed feelings about these plans as well. Nami, foolish as ever, never had a complete idea of Tsu's intentions; she only followed the Goddess blindly. Zoji was only another pawn, with no use to Tsu but to be a useful sacrifice. Suji, her right-hand man, knew of the entire plan, of course, and couldn't care less of what happened to the others, as long as his own life was kept intact. And Shoji…? He looked over as his servant, who had stopped.

"Shoji?"

"It's this house."

Domo looked up at the colorful brick house. "So it is." And they opened the door and entered.

-0-

"Ugh…"

That was the first word—no, _sound_—that escaped Shikumo's mouth as he woke up that morning. He blinked groggily, staring at the multicolored floor tiles…Wait, floor tiles?

"Oh, man," he moaned. "I have got to stop falling off the bed…" He pushed himself up slowly into a sitting position. His problem with falling off the bed was beginning to get out of hand. He had no idea how hard the floor was until he had hit it two nights ago…He heard a creaking sound from the stairs. He jumped up, suddenly alert. "Who's there?!"

He jumped up as he saw two people enter his room. One, a bowman with his brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Shikumo wasn't usually one to judge personalities from the first glance, but the bowman's eyes glittered as if from impatience and…rage, perhaps? A rounded hat with a feather adorned his head, and he wore silver and blue armor.

Another person entered the room behind the archer, a mage, by the looks of his clothing. He looked closer to Shikumo's age, and he seemed...more innocent? Playful? His eyes practically shone with curiosity, and his red robes rustled as he moved.

Shikumo looked back at the bowman, opening his mouth to ask what his name was and why he was even in his house. However, the bowman was not looking at him. Rather, his eyes were concentrated on the emerald glittering on the windowsill next to Shikumo.

'_That's the jewel that Lady Tsu mentioned…_'

"Hand over that emerald or die!" Domo ordered, not bothering to maintain any manners.

"Yeah!" Shoji added, unable to stay silent in a situation like this.

"No!" Shikumo cried, running over to the emerald. He stood in front of it protectively. "It's my family emerald, and You. Can't. Have. It!" He spoke each word as if he was spitting the letters out at them.

"Well, then," Domo commented, smirking as he lifted his bow, "We'll just have to _kill you_!"

"Never!"

Shikumo hurriedly picked up the shining green gem and rushed down the stairs. Domo and Shoji ran after him.

"Fire Arrow!"

"Take this!"

Both of the Death Angels smirked, certain they had him. However, Shikumo expertly darted away from both arrows in a split second, unscathed.

"Wha—Why can't I hit him?" Domo demanded, shocked.

"It must be that Emerald of Dexterity. He probably dodges it so fast, we can't see him!" Shoji said, lowering his Fairy Wand. Both stopped, pondering what to do next in this situation.

"See ya!"

"_What_?!"

Domo turned to see Shikumo running outside through the door. With a growl, the two of them followed after the emerald's holder.

-0-

Shikumo's feet hit the ground hard as he ran with the emerald, laughing silently about his clever escape, until a shower of arrows came flying past him. Holding on to the Emerald of Dexterity, he dodged all of the arrows expertly, holding back a fit of giggles.

"Why can't I hit him?!" Domo yelled, enraged.

"Maybe…You're just too slow!" Shikumo grinned recklessly, and snuck up behind Shoji. With a swift movement, he struck his Zard through the servant's body.

"You killed him!" Domo roared, as the lifeless body crumpled onto the floor. '_What…What's going on here?_'

Would you like to be next?" Shikumo asked, smirking. He was starting to enjoy this.

"Just try!"

Domo lifted his bow and shot out a volley of arrows, which Shikumo maneuvered around quickly as he swung a blow at Domo. The latter jumped back, his brown hair blowing into his face, and shot more arrows at Shikumo, yelling "Double Shot!". Shikumo ducked under them and charged at Domo, his Zard firmly grasped in his hands.

The two continued to exchange blows, one after the other, both in an intricate dance of weapons and skills. Someone was about to end it…Shikumo grinned, as he saw Domo's guard drop for just a fraction of a second, but that was all he needed. Clutching the Emerald of Dexterity, he swung the Zard at him, screaming "_Power Strike!!!_"

Domo's eyes widened as he fell onto the ground, gasping. The cut had opened a large, bloody gash running down his chest, tearing his armor and pooling the blood around the Death Angel's body. His ponytail had become undone, and his eyes were starting to slip out of focus.

"Now talk!" Shikumo yelled hurriedly. Time was running out, and he couldn't afford to lose any of it. "Why are you after my family's emerald?!"

"I…can't tell you…But I can tell you this…" Domo whispered, taking short, ragged breaths. Shikumo knelt down so he could hear well. "My mistress…She's after the Opal of Light next…in Ellinia…"

"Why?!" Shikumo demanded, shaking him. "Why is she after it?!"

A shadow of a smile appeared on Domo's face. "That's…all I can tell you…Ugh…" He closed his eyes and ceased to breathe, and Shikumo watched in awe as the body began to dissolve into the air, leaving behind only a puddle of dark blood as evidence.

"Hmmm…" Shikumo thought out loud. _'Other people could be in danger…'_

"Well, I guess I'm going to Ellinia." And without another word, he set off toward the Ticket Station.

-0-

"Curses!"

The word echoed throughout the room as the goddess in disguise slammed her fist against the arm of her chair, her porcelain face a picture of pure fury.

"He failed! That good-for-nothing moron!" She breathed in and out deeply, to try and calm down. _'Don't panic, Tsu…Goddesses must stay focused and in control…' _It hardly worked, but it made her feel the tiniest bit better. "Well, then, I guess I'm going to Ellinia for my next target. My followers would do me good to follow…"

-0-

'_Where's Domo…?_'

Death Angel Nami had these words echoing in her mind as she patrolled one of the castle's many halls, the folds in her Dark Calaf rustling as she took her steps. She waved her Arc Staff back and forth slowly, lazily letting the tip scrape the floor.

'_I thought Domo promised to help me train today…?'_ She stood, transfixed, staring at the scratch mark on the ground in wonder. "Whoops…"

"What did you do now, Nami?"

She looked up at Zoji, another one of the Death Angels. "Nothing important," she said hurriedly. "W-Where's Domo?"

Zoji looked at her, a hint of what was either confusion or panic in his obsidian eyes. "I'm not sure, to tell you the truth," he confessed. "Why do you ask?"

"Dunno." She averted her eyes from his gaze.

"You better not let Tsu know you have friends," Zoji warned. "Friendship is an undesirable trait in a Death Angel."

"I know…" she sighed, rolling her amber eyes. "I don't need any lectures right now…But you know, it gets kinda lonely in this place if you've got no friends, right…?"

"_NAMI!!!"_

The two of them jumped at Tsu's announcement, which echoed throughout the hallway. "I better go before I get in trouble…" she mumbled, teleporting away. Zoji looked at the wisp of magic left in the air from Nami's spell, and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Nami…You better not die, too…"

-0-

The female Death Angel, carrying an Arc Staff, appeared in the room and walked over to where she stood, her eyes looking confused. She opened her mouth and began, "Wh—" But after glancing at Tsu's face, she opted for a safer choice of words. "Yes, my mistress?"

"Tell the others we are going to Ellinia," Tsu said carelessly, fiddling with one of the cords on her black jacket.

"Yes, at once!" Nami said, turning and running out of the room.

"Yes…When the time comes…" Tsu muttered to herself. This twist of fate was beginning to unravel a very interesting plan.

"When the time comes…I shall get them all!"

-0-

**Next Chapter—Chapter 2: The Fairy's Opal**

-0-

Like? Dislike? I don't really know how to handle battle scenes, but I tried my best, and I hope it's good enough...I appreciate reviews, and constructive criticism is _always_ accepted with a giant smile and any food you like, as long as it's loaded with sugar. XD Review anyway.


	3. A Fairy's Opal

A/N: Very sorry for the long delay…TT-TT But before the chapter begins, you should probably know that Ryuken9, the original creator of the story, left the guild and abandoned Gems of Advent. As a result, this story probably won't be updated too much, but I will try my best to continue the story, even if the plot is horrible from Chapter 3 to the end. XD Enjoy anyway.

EDIT: If anyone wants to see the original script, just ask me for it via a review or PM, and I'll PM it to you so you can see if I'm doing an accurate job/could be a little better/would be better off just handing the thing to 4Kids. -.-U

**2****nd**** Edit: **This is the edited version of Chapter 2, after such a long time XD I was going to put it up earlier, but every time I tried, I kept seeing "just one more thing" that needed fixing, over and over and over again…TT-TT So I just decided to put this up. It's fanfiction, not a published story. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own MapleStory or the plot. Yet. I'm still the messenger…For now…

-0-

"Man, Ellinia is _huge_!" Shikumo turned around and around, taking in all of the leafy green color of the trees. Ludibrium had nothing even remotely like this scenery. "With all of this space, it may be hard to find the fairy queen…" He sighed and began to search for people that could look even a little bit like some type of human-like royalty.

He passed a woman with a hat, a man with a beard standing next to a large box, an orange-haired girl apparently named Rowen, a blonde fairy who was persistently asking travelers to help her find shoes, and hordes and hordes of people who all seemed to be as common as himself. He kept walking, keeping his eyes open, until he spotted a blue-eyed mage with silver hair walk by. His eyes held a sense of pride, and he carried himself with confidence. Somehow, Shikumo was calmed by his presence.

"Hey, you," Shikumo said, pulling him over to talk. "Do you know where I can find the Fairy Queen?"

"There's a Fairy Queen named Kai. If you want, I'll show you where she is." Shikumo nodded, and the two of them began the long trek up the town of Ellinia.

-0-

The horn of the ship blared as it began to sail away. Tsu covered her ears disdainfully, and looked around. '_How can humans make such a pathetic machine? Do they really not have the ability to freely go where they wish?_'

"Hmph," she sniffed. "We must find a place to hide, in the Forest of Wisdom." Her eyes traveled over to where Nami, one of the three remaining Death Angels, stood. She was staring at the ground, unfocused, looking at the polished tip of the Arc Staff.

"Nami!" she barked. Nami jumped and gave a small shriek of surprise, and tried to restore her orderly posture.

"Yes, my mistress?" she asked, looking at the Goddess innocently, widening her eyes.

"Go snatch the Opal of Light from that Fairy Queen, Kai," Tsu ordered, examining her highlight in her blue hair. "The rest of us shall go hide in the Forest of Wisdom."

"I shall not fail you, my mistress," Nami said, bowing and leaving the station, her brown hair trailing after her.

"Hmph." Tsu looked back at her. "She may fail."

-0-

"So, I never caught your name," the mage said casually. "But to be polite, my name is Blood."

'_Strange name for a guy…' _Shikumo thought, wincing inwardly. He admonished himself silently for being so rude. "Nice to meet you, Blood. My name is Shikumo."

"Shikumo, hm? That's a pretty strange name you got there," Blood commented. Shikumo's left eye twitched.

"Funny thing to be heard from a guy named Blood, isn't it?" Shikumo retorted. Now it was Blood's turn to be amused.

"Is there something wrong with my name?" the wizard laughed. But he quickly grew somber. "I forgot about something. What do you need the Fairy Queen for so badly, anyway?" So Shikumo explained his encounter with the archer and the mage, the fight in Ludibrium, and the need for the Fairy Queen. When he was done, Blood said thoughtfully, "So this whole problem of disaster sounds pretty dangerous, and you need to find the Queen to warn her about the danger? Sounds good to me." He stopped in front of a large building. Shikumo stopped as well, admiring the spectacular woodwork. "Come on." Blood opened the door, and Shikumo had nothing else to do but follow.

The fire mage walked into the room, which was mainly composed of wood, and stood in the center of the door space. "Queen Kai, I have brought someone who wishes to see you," Blood said, bowing respectfully. He moved to the side so that Shikumo could see her. The warrior slowly walked into the room after him and also bowed slightly.

"It-It's an honor to meet you, ma'am," Shikumo stammered nervously, daring to look up at her. Some of her silky blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail with red beads, and the rest fell down her back gracefully. Her sky-blue robes danced around her ankles elegantly, and soft shoes covered her feet. He had never been so close to royalty of any kind before. "My name is…"

"State your business." Unlike the other fairies around Ellinia, her personality didn't seem as floaty or abstract as the others. Rather, she came right to the point. Shikumo, noticing this, straightened up in the manner of a soldier.

"I am here to warn you about a dangerous group of people. I heard that they are coming here to snatch your opal," Shikumo said, his nervousness now under control.

"My opal?!" Kai looked shocked, then thoughtful. "Yes, I believe I have heard of them. They are a group of people called the Death Angels, and their goal is to obtain the seven sacred gems to steal the power of the King of Gods, Ragnarok." Her red eyes narrowed at the thought.

"Seven sacred gems?" Shikumo was thoroughly confused at this point. Everything was becoming too complicated…

"Yes. The seven sacred gems are the pieces of the power of Ragnarok. That, however, is all I know concerning the subject." She looked down at the floor, seemingly lost in thought.

"I shall go and tell the soldiers to begin preparing at once—" Blood began, taking half a step forward.

"No." Kai cut him off in mid-sentence. "I shall fight these Death Angels alone. Do not interfere."

"A little stubborn, are we?" Blood asked, amused.

"Shut up," the Fairy Queen snapped uncharacteristically. "I can handle it!"

"Okay, if you say so," Shikumo broke in quickly, unnerved. Looking desperately for a distraction, he asked, "Hey, Blood. Are you a fairy, too?"

Blood looked down at the floor. "No…I was an orphan. Then Kai took me in, you know?" He looked embarrassed.

"Oh." Shikumo had no idea what to say. "That sucks."

"I know."

A sudden flash of blue light made the three of them jump, yelling as the light blinded them. When their eyes finally cleared, a brunette girl dressed in flowing black and gold robes, a crown-like hat made of gold, and an Arc Staff stood in the middle of the room, a smirk on her face. A single gold highlight marked her hair.

"Well, well, well, isn't that touching?" the girl said, sarcasm dripping with every syllable that came out of her mouth. "I'm just simply tearing up here." She gave a small sniff to further mock them.

"Who _are _you?!" Shikumo yelled. His thoughts were reeling. Was she with the man he killed? Did she follow Tsu as well?

"I am Death Angel Nami." She gave a small wink and giggled. Then she straightened up and returned to her sarcastic nature. "I came here to pick up Queenie's little Opal of Light over there." She motioned to the iridescent jewel glittering on a shelf.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that!" Kai declared in a commanding voice. "Let _me _show you the true power of the Opal!" She picked it up and stood erect on the wooden floor. Nami smirked, her crimson eyes narrowing in amusement, and took her place on the floor as well.

"So, Queenie, you finally decided to use that pretty jewel after all these years. But didn't you promise not to use that Opal to increase your powers after that big accident so many years ago?" the Death Angel laughed. The Fairy Queen's eyes widened.

"How…How do you know what I did?"

"Oh, I have my sources, Queenie." Nami smiled and twirled her staff expertly. "Now, weren't you going to do something?"

"Fire Arrow!"

The shout echoed in the room as Kai aimed her first attack. Nami jumped back, narrowly dodging the shot as the arrow made contact with a box behind her. As splinters soared in all directions, the two males yelped, and Blood yelled "Magic Guard!" which put a thin protective shield around him; however, Shikumo wasn't nearly as lucky, and he swore under his breath as he cowered behind a bookshelf, painstakingly pulling the splinters out of his armor. Kai leapt into the air and pointed her wand at Nami, sending a bright bolt of magic at her, but Nami jumped away gracefully, allowing the bolt to singe the wooden floor.

Nami laughed and swung her staff at Kai, shouting "Cold Beam!" Kai quickly escaped from the target area, and shards of ice flew across the room as Blood and Shikumo ran for cover once again, hiding behind a stack of books. "Blood, I can't take this anymore!" Shikumo whispered. "We're gonna die _before _we fight!"

"Yeah, but you can't interfere. When Kai starts to fight, there's no stopping her, especially with that jewel making her go crazy with power," Blood warned. They dared to peek out at the battle, and watched the Fairy Queen form another Fire Arrow, aiming it straight at the Death Angel's heart. Although Nami ran, she did not escape unscathed.

This time, it lightly grazed Nami's hair, making her flinch and fall down with a thud. "Ugh…" Nami muttered. "Can't…see…" She straightened up. "But no matter. I can't miss with this!" She whipped out a bright, sparkling yellow jewel.

"The Topaz of Luck…" Shikumo breathed. Blood's eyes widened beside him.

"Now get ready, Queenie!" Nami pocketed the Topaz and held up her Arc Staff. "Thunder Bolt!" A brilliantly colored spark of magic grew at the point of the staff, and as the two males looked on in horror, it sent a shock of sapphire lightning right across the room, hitting Kai squarely in the chest.

"_No…!!!_"

The Fairy Queen gasped in shock and pain as her clothing was instantly charred by the raw power of the Death Angel's spell. One of her sleeves was torn right in half, and the bottom of her gown turned charcoal black, as the delicate hem burned into a ragged line. Kai fell to the floor where she laid, her once-bright eyes dulling rapidly. A scream tore out of Blood's lungs as he ran to the body of his only guardian.

"KAI!!!" He ran to her and fell on both knees, tears cascading down his pale face. His hand reached out and brushed the strands of blonde hair out of her eyes. "Kai…Fairy Queen…Don't leave yet…"

The young woman smiled weakly at Blood. "I…" she started. "I…want you…to have…this…" Her trembling hand reached into her pocket, where she brought out the dazzling Opal, the colors swirling on the surface of the jewel. "Use it to defeat…the Death Angel…"

"What if I say no, huh?! What if I decide to disobey you?!" Blood shrieked, shaking her body. As the Fairy Queen coughed in protest, he gulped and moved her gently so that she lay on her back, staring up at the roof.

"…You won't…Don't disappoint me, Blood…" Kai looked up at the ceiling, her breathing becoming shallower. She smiled calmly, looking at the hysterical mage. "I'll always be proud…" And as she sighed and relaxed her breaths, the Fairy Queen ceased to live. Blood clenched his fists together, his head down.

"You…" He looked at Nami, who tilted her head in mock innocence. "You…" He bared his teeth, his face now twisted with anger and hate. "_You killed her!!!_ You murderer…I'll _kill_ you!!!"

"Go ahead and try," Nami drawled nonchalantly. "I'd like to see that happen."

"Fine!" Blood reached into the pocket in his robes and pulled out a round jewel the color of the deep ocean. "With the Aquamarine of Wisdom and the Opal of Light, I'll avenge Kai for sure!!! And then…" He breathed deeply. "You…_You're going to pay for this!!!_"

'_What?!_' Shikumo wondered. _'Does everyone have a jewel nowadays?!_'

Namina turned around and looked at Blood right in the eyes. "Well then, let's hurry up and end this, shall we?" She held her staff at the ready, waiting, until Shikumo broke in.

"Wait!"

"What now?" she asked impatiently, glancing at Shikumo.

"Are you with that other guy who tried to kill me?!"

"Which guy?" she replied. Was she really clueless? She stared at him, comprehension slowly dawning over her face. "You mean Domo? Did you see Domo?"

"He was an archer, if that's what you mean," Shikumo muttered, looking at the floor.

"Um…" She shifted her feet, looking at her shoes sheepishly. "By any chance…uh…Do you know…where he is?" Her crimson eyes shone hopefully, giddiness now in total control of her body. Shikumo looked into her eyes for a long second, trying to find some sort of deceit, evil, anything that wasn't what it looked like at that moment. Anything to spare him from what he had to say.

"I…" Shikumo hesitated. "I killed him."

The room was silent as the three of them stood alert in the room—two pairs of eyes on Shikumo, the last pair looking warily at the two other figures.

"You…killed Domo?" Nami asked, blinking twice. '_So…That's why…_' Her eyes closed for a long moment, the silence dragging on painfully. Shikumo thought he could detect a hint of tears forming on her eyelashes, but she finally opened her eyes, her red orbs sparkling with sarcasm once again. "Well, then, if I kill you, that means my power would be stronger than another Death Angel!" She laughed, a slightly maniacal edge to her voice.

"You…!" Blood started to jump at her, but Shikumo grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks as he struggled.

"But that means I'll kill you both! And then I'll walk off with _three_ prizes here!" She raised her staff. "_Thunderbolt!_" The two of them jumped back as two bolts of lightning struck the ground, leaving two black marks of the wooden ground and even a few small holes.

"Thunderbolt!"

The two of them repeatedly jumped back and forth as they narrowly dodged the lightning. Shikumo finally had the nerve to yell, "Don't you ever get tired of that skill? It's getting _really _old!" But whatever reaction he was expecting, the following one obviously was not it.

"_Thunderthunderthunderthunderthunderthunder!!!_"

"HOLY—" Blood and Shikumo ran frantically to boxes, shelves, anything that would prevent them from being fried to a burnt crisp.

"Shikumo, do something! We can't just keep running!" Blood yelled, leaping over a box as another spark completely obliterated it.

"I'd like to, but you know, you can't do much when _you're trying not do die a horribly crispy death_!!!" Shikumo screamed right back as he escaped from under a falling shelf, books tumbling in all directions. Blood began to raise his wand, but then immediately dropped his arm as another brightly colored bolt forced him to move out of the way yet again. Nami laughed again, her staff spinning like a baton, dangerous swirls of magic around her as she rose up higher, almost floating above the ground. At this, Shikumo saw his chance, and rushed forward with his sword, but Blood pushed him out of the way, making Shikumo fall, his Zard clattering to the floor.

"_Fire Arrow!!!_"

Shikumo's eyes widened as he watched the mana energy gather by Blood's hands into the form of a fiery lance. The burst of flame spiraled through the air and hit its target dead on. Nami shrieked then, a high, shrill noise so inhuman that it forced the two of them to cover their ears instinctively and wince. She collapsed and lay there, panting, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Why…" She whispered, laying sideways, blood pooling around her slowly. With a groan, she rolled onto her back, her hands clutching her chest. Shikumo and Blood rushed to the body and knelt down, leaning forward to hear the words that could barely be heard next. "Mistress Tsu…I'm sor…ry…I failed you…Heh…" She coughed twice, wracking her body violently.

"Wait!" Shikumo reached forward and placed his hand on her shoulder firmly. "Who is Tsu? Who are you guys, and what do you want?!"

"Do I…have to tell…you…?"

"_Yes!!! _Tell me now!!!"

"Mistress…Tsu…She…" Nami coughed up more blood, the crimson drops now dribbling down her chin. "She wants…Ragnarok…"

"What do we have to do with it then?!"

"Seven gems…Power…Rag…nar…ahhh…" Nami began to close her eyes, her breathing beginning to shallow. Blood leaned closer and looked at her face carefully, then slowly and deliberately plucked the Topaz from within the folds of her robes. He then backed away just as slowly, lest the Death Angel attack him in a panic. Nami did not move.

"Wait!" Shikumo pressed on her shoulder again.

"What…now…" Some of her old temper began to flare up, but was interrupted by more coughing.

"Tsu. Is she the Dark Goddess? The Dark Goddess from long ago, before these lands were made?" Nami had no energy for words at this point; the only thing she seemed to be able to do was nod and glare.

"Now…let me…die…"

"One more thing!"

"…" Another burst of coughing. Nami's eyes were beginning to close, then fluttered open again just barely.

"_Where is she headed for next?!_" Shikumo yelled right into her ear.

"…"

Shikumo and Blood stopped, afraid that they could no longer gather any more information. "Hey, woman…You alive?" Blood asked tentatively.

"…Perion…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry…Tsu…and…D…" Nami sighed, closed her eyes, and a small smile began to tug at her face as finally, in front of Blood's and Shikumo's astonished eyes, she disappeared, much in the same fashion as the previous Death Angel before her. The two of them knelt in silence, trying to absorb the events that had just unfolded before them.

"The Fairy Queen is dead…" Blood muttered. He stood up, and offered a hand to Shikumo. "This madness has gone on for too long. Let me travel with you, for my sake, and yours."

"Sure," Shikumo said, still slightly shaken. '_So now…Three people are dead because of this…Why must it happen…?_' "I could always use a traveling buddy, right?"

"Sure could," Blood replied, picking up his Hall Staff. "So we should go to Perion next. It's the only lead we've got, even if it might not be true." Shikumo walked to the door, but as he turned around, Blood was still in the middle of the room.

"You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Meet me outside, okay?" Shikumo shrugged and left the room, the wooden door swinging shut behind him. Blood carefully carried Kai to a bed and set her down, arranging her in a way that made it possible for her to be sleeping. He pulled a silky, green blanket over her still body. "Fairy Queen…Guardian…I'll avenge you. I swear on my life."

-0-

"Argh!!!"

A glass figurine was sent flying into the wall. It shattered into a thousand tiny fragments.

"That stupid girl! Can't even steal a jewel without those stupid things called _emotions_ getting in the way!!!" Tsu screamed. She was absolutely infuriated. Not just one, but _two _of her Death Angels had fallen at the hands of the same person, and it wasn't even herself. _'That insolent boy will pay…'_

"_ZOJI!!!"_

"Y-Yes, my mistress…" The youngest Death Angel stuttered nervously.

"Fetch me the Garnet of Strength in Perion!!!" The Goddess Tsu commanded, her eyes on the floor. Zoji waited, though, as she seemed to ponder something else in mind. After a moment, Tsu raised her head. "Oh, and kill the warrior and the puny wizard with him, too."

"As you wish," Zoji mumbled. He bit his lip, then turned and walked quickly away, his back to the goddess to hide his fast-falling tears.

"Emotions…Heh…Stupid things, huh?" he sniffed to himself, after he reached the empty hallway. "Sorry, Nami…Domo…

"I guess my emotions are getting the best of me, too…"

-0-

**Next Chapter: Chapter 3—Soul of a Warrior**

Yup, that's the end. Longer than the first chapter, huh? XD I tried my best to put in more description and stuff, too. Oh, and a little note that might or might not be important: The parts where Death Angel Nami is thinking about Domo were not in the original script. I put them in there because I think that it's unfair (complain if you wish) that it's always the protagonists that get the in-depth relationships, other than the classic "OMG I SHALL OBEY MY MASTAH AT ALL COSTS" kinda thing. -.-U Antagonists deserve some friends too.

-0-

Oh, and before I forget, this is a list of the people who were supposed to be playing the characters:

Shikumo—Ryuken9. He quit the guild, and, as a result, the story, too. NYAH!!! XD

Goddess Tsu—Tsunade753. She's still in LoveLess, the guild where this all started.

Blood—bloodlust12. He quit the guild to join Ryuken's.

Domo—ichigono. He's still in LoveLess, too. -

Nami—Namina. That would be my character, which would probably explain why she gets so much more dialogue in comparison to the original script, and I feel horribly guilty. TT-TT Sorry. Still in LoveLess.

Fairy Queen Kai—Khluver. Also in LoveLess.

Shoji—00025. He's still in LoveLess, as well.

Zoji—Kogein. He quit LoveLess to join Ryuken's guild.

Ragnarok—martelswrath, although he never really made an appearance. He's the guild master of LoveLess; therefore, he's obviously still in it. F3

Suji—GTDukku. He used to be in LoveLess, but he's so inactive lately that I don't even know what happened to the guy. o.O

We all play in Bera.

-0-

Review plawks -


	4. Soul of a Warrior

A/N: Wow, when was the last time I updated this? More than a year ago—Yeesh. I'm really sorry for not updating this—I've been really busy with my current main work, Crossroads of Loyalty, so this one was actually put on a sort of hiatus. XD But no worries, only 2 more chapters, so I'm planning to finish this.

Sorry if the chapter seems rushed, too—it's not that I only took a few days (it took me a year, lol XD), but I feel that my writing quality with this story is getting worse, and the battle scenes keep torturing me D: But anyway…

There'll probably be some edited version of the chapter put up later, because I know someone will find something wrong with it, but bear with me, please. Only two more chapters! XD Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own MapleStory or any of the characters involved. The property belongs to Nexon. However, the story now technically belongs to me, I suppose.

-0-

A group of surly swordsmen sat on a stone ledge, comparing their weapons. A petulant wail of a red snail meeting its untimely end was heard from faraway, as a young magician's screams were heard as he fled from a group of angered stumps. A young, orange-haired girl smiled politely as travelers passed by.

"How are we supposed to find a _sacred jewel _in this town?!"

And of course, an unlikely pair of a young swordsman and a fire mage interrupted it all. Shikumo sighed. "Geez, Blood, you're even more impatient than me. We just got here, too."

"But you would think that a place with a sacred jewel would look nicer than this, don't you think?" Blood groaned, exasperated. He flopped down onto a stone bench, then yelped and jumped up, realizing that he had just sat down on a horned mushroom cap that a careless traveler had left behind. "Okay, that's it! As soon as we find the stupid thing, we're moving on!" He growled and began to march off in the most dignified manner that he could manage.

Shikumo watched him stalk off for a few minutes, then buried his face in his hands. "It had to be _him _that I asked for help…"

-0-

"Um, excuse me ma'am, but have you seen a swordsman with a Zard traveling with a fire mage with silver hair and blue eyes?" Zoji asked politely, tapping a traveler on the shoulder.

"Pardon? A swordsman with a Zard? A fire mage with silver hair? There are plenty of those running around in this place," she replied, smirking. Zoji blushed. "How about their levels?"

"I apologize; I don't have any information regarding their levels. However, I know that their names are Shikumo and Blood. Will that help, ma'am?"

The woman laughed. "Aren't you the cute little polite one? I saw a pair called Shikumo and Blood just a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact. They went up, I suppose. The mage was having some kind of fit about a jewel of some sort."

"Thank you, ma'am. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated." Zoji bowed, smiling. "Now, I must be on my way. I'm in a hurry." He turned away and began to walk up the rugged cliffs of Perion. '_A fit? These are strange enemies that I am dealing with here…But if it is for Lady Tsu, then I suppose I have to obey._'

-0-

"This is it; we've been to every house except this one. If the jewel's not in here, I'm going to scream." Blood leaned over, panting for breath. "Man, these cliffs are _high_." Shikumo nodded in agreement, his hands on his knees.

"Okay, last one. Cross your fingers," Shikumo commanded as he walked up to the front of the door. He raised one gloved hand and knocked on the wooden door loudly. "Excuse me, is anyone home?"

"I already paid for the funding, and I did not steal anything despite any rumors you may have heard. If you're here for food, I'm not a soup kitchen, and I'm not buying whatever it is that you're selling."

Shikumo and Blood twitched simultaneously. "W-What did he say?" Shikumo stuttered. He raised his hand to knock again, but Blood beat him to it, banging on the door as loudly as he could, which attracted the stares of many curious bystanders. Shikumo's face burned, and he lowered his face to the ground in embarrassment as Blood began yelling at the wooden door as he leaned on it, supporting his weight with the sturdy wood.

"We're not salespeople! We need a jewel, do you have one? If you don't, that's fine, but you need to tell us first that you—" The door suddenly swung open on rusty hinges, a petulant squeak escaping as Blood fell face first onto the dirt floor. A metal-covered boot cautiously poked itself out from the darkness and prodded the mage's shoulder gently. When Blood did not move, the boot continued to nudge him for two minutes, at which point the owner of the boot seemed to find the body an annoyance, and pressed his foot onto the wizard's back.

Blood let out a yell and immediately began to struggle, his arms flailing. The boot seemed to jump and quickly removed itself from Blood, and the wizard jumped up, waving his staff angrily and yelling, "Hey, there's no need to step on me, and you'll pay for that, 'cause guess what, mister? You better learn how to sleep with your eyes open! You—"

Blood stopped short, and Shikumo looked up from the ground in surprise; the occupant of the house had finally walked out from within the shadows covering the interior of the building. His short brown hair was messy in a casual way, and his mouth held a barely hidden smirk. He wore heavy chain armor, covering most of his tanned skin, and the sheath strapped to his back gleamed in the sunlight, obviously polished. The warrior carried a confident air, towering over the two adventurers by several inches. The warrior grinned and crossed his arms confidently. "Sorry, staff-wielding midget, but you need to think of a better threat than that. I already learned how to sleep with my eyes open a year ago." He moved to the side of the door and gestured them in.

Shikumo smiled and walked into the house cheerfully; this warrior seemed to be quite friendly, which would greatly help them if he did, in fact, own the Garnet. Blood, however, stayed outside of the house, crossing his own arms and glaring at the warrior. "I'm not going in," Blood staunchly declared.

"Fine," the warrior replied pleasantly. "Don't blame me if you die from dehydration out there. The weather seems to be getting hotter."

"You—you—you—!"

"Just get in here, midget." Blood let out a huff of indignation, but stomped into the house anyway, stepping on the warrior's feet along the way, but whether he felt pain or not, it did not visibly show on his face, for the warrior continued to smile just as pleasantly. When Blood took a seat on a chair, the warrior closed the door behind him and also sat down.

"I should probably introduce myself first. My name is Genjo. I'm a page, soon to be a White Knight. So don't try any funny stuff, midget."

"I never said I would!"

"Good." Genjo turned slightly and looked at Shikumo. "So, you seem to be more polite than your short companion over there. Why don't you explain what you are doing here?" Shikumo grinned sheepishly.

"Ahem, well…You see…uh…Hm…How I would say…" Shikumo stuttered. Somehow, Genjo's presence seemed to intimidate him; whether it was his polished armor, the brown eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul, or the sword that was nearly as long as Shikumo was, the nervous adventurer had no idea.

"I see. That sounds very serious."

Shikumo's face flushed. "No, I didn't mean that! What I meant to say was that…"And once again, the page's presence intimidated him. "I…We…uh…"

"This is quite the predicament. Perhaps I should request the aid of an army."

"No, not that either! Look, what I meant to say is that there's a group of people called the Death Angels who are out to get these jewels that contain the power of the god Ragnarok and…and…" Suddenly, Shikumo's voice seemed to fail him. The more he said, the more foolish it sounded, and it ashamed him deeply. He bowed his head reverently and added, "I'm sorry if I'm wasting your time. I only meant to ask you whether you had a jewel of any kind."

"Well, if that's all that you needed, I don't see why you had to go and try to break my door down for it. All you had to do was ask." Genjo walked over to a cabinet and opened it, shifting boxes and bottles of all sorts aside as he looked through the cabinet's contents. "Ah, here it is. I have a garnet right here." He took a red object out of the cabinet, shut the door, and walked over to the two travelers, sinking back into his luxurious chair. "Here, take it, and tell me if this satisfies your search." He offered it to Shikumo.

The young warrior took it and turned it in different directions, admiring the polished condition of the garnet, its red color catching a ray of sunlight and sending a slight glare off of the edge. It had obviously been given good care. Blood leaned over in his chair to peer at the garnet in Shikumo's hands, and grinned. "Hey, you took really good care of it! Is it special to you, Genjo?"

"It's nice to see that you finally hold an inkling of respect for me," Genjo replied coolly, causing a growl from Blood, but the page nodded. "I have taken care of it as best as I could. After all, it's helped me fight well."

"In what way?" Shikumo asked, looking up from the round jewel. Genjo shrugged and leaned back into his blue seat again, looking up at the ceiling.

"Well, I'm not sure if you'd believe me, but when I'm holding that garnet, my strength feels as though it increased by an amazing amount. I kill very quickly, quickly enough for people to suspect me of something unnatural, which is probably the case with this jewel. Any guesses as to what it could be?"

Shikumo and Blood smiled simultaneously, both glad that they could teach this dignified page something for a change. Both opened their mouths, and two different streams of words flew through the air, continually getting louder and louder in an attempt to speak over the other, to the point where both stories nearly smacked Genjo in the face. Before the page even had a chance to try and speak over their voices, the two companions glared at each other and stood up suddenly, knocking their chairs to the ground.

"I'm telling him the story!" Blood yelled.

"No, he asked _me _to tell him!" Shikumo yelled back. "I was the one who realized it first!"

"You liar!" Blood screamed. "I was there at the same time as you when the Fairy Queen—"

"Enough!" Genjo commanded, standing up as well. "You can both tell me the story together. No arguing, because I want to hear what you two have to say." The mage and the warrior looked at him warily, then sighed.

"Alright…" They straightened up their chairs, and sat back down into them, waiting for Genjo to do the same. After the page settled into his chair, Shikumo told Genjo of his encounters with the Death Angels, the power of Ragnarok, and the journey he was taking to stop the Dark Goddess from taking Ragnarok first, with Blood occasionally adding his thoughts to the tale. Genjo listened to them patiently, his fingers slowly stroking his chin as the soon-to-be White Knight pondered what he heard.

When the two finished talking, Genjo nodded slowly and smiled. "I see. This seems to be a very interesting tale you have; in fact, I would give much of my possessions away to have the opportunity to see how this will turn out. In fact, I would be willing to give you my garnet, which would increase your collection to five, if I am correct. Of course, you would have to pay a price for this; I don't run into strength-increasing red jewels every day, after all."

"Erm…What's your price?" Shikumo asked nervously, knowing full well that Genjo's price would most likely be something neither he nor Blood could possibly afford.

"Let me come with you."

"…What?" Shikumo and Blood both stared at the page, their mouths agape. "You want what?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Genjo rolled his eyes as he laced his fingers together. He leaned forward, the links in his armor clinking together. "Look, this is a one in a lifetime chance, even for an adventurer like me. You still get your garnet, I still get to be near my precious possession, and you also have some extra help, which I bet you need, judging by this Dark Goddess deal. So do we have a deal?" The two teens looked at each other nervously.

"Um, can we discuss this privately, Genjo?" Shikumo stuttered, looking over at Blood. The mage nodded fervently. Genjo shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure." Shikumo and Blood practically jumped off of their chairs, Blood leaning forward slightly to whisper into Shikumo's ear.

"Shikumo, this is ridiculous! I don't know if we can trust this guy!" Blood looked at him, his blue-gray eyes now somber.

"Blood, I don't think we have a choice. We have to get that garnet, and I can't deny that he's better at fighting than either of us. We have to—" Shikumo was interrupted by a knock on the door. Genjo smiled slightly, and got up from his chair.

"I'll get it, don't worry." The page opened the wooden door, peering cautiously outside. "Oh, hello. May I help you?"

"Why didn't he act nice to us when _we _knocked?" Blood hissed, but stifled a yelp of pain when Shikumo hit him with the back of his hand. The door creaked open and the two companions looked over to Genjo, who was standing next to the visitor. The visitor, a dark-skinned male, stood next to the page, tilting his head slightly to examine the two of them. His clothing, black clothing that easily identified him as a rogue, fitted the male closely; his hands were behind his back, and he rocked back and forth on his heels slightly. The thief gave a small smile, taking a step into the room as Genjo closed the door behind him.

"Hello, my name is Zoji. I have come here on a request; do any of you go by the name of Shikumo?"

"That would be me," Shikumo said, standing up to meet his eyes. "Is there something you need from me?"

"As a matter of fact, there is something I would like. If you would forgive my manners for interrupting what seems to be an important meeting," he said, scanning the room, "I believe that you are currently in possession of a—for lack of a better word—_special _Emerald, yes?" Zoji asked, giving Shikumo a friendly-looking smile.

"Uh…yes, I do. Why do you ask?" Shikumo replied, narrowing his eyes. Something seemed suspicious here. Behind him, he could sense, more than see, Blood tighten his grip on his staff. Genjo drummed his fingers on the door, seemingly distracted by the pattern of the wood.

"I believe that you are well acquainted with the name of Goddess Tsu, sir. I have direct orders from her to kill you." The rogue smiled and moved his hands to reveal a dagger, the weapon catching a glare from the sunlight streaming through the open door.

"What…?!" Shikumo and Blood yelled simultaneously. Shikumo gripped the handle of his sword, fully ready to jump out and swing at Zoji, but Blood beat him to it; Shikumo saw a brief, flame-colored light flash before a fiery lance materialized from thin air to char the floor. Zoji, however, had seemed to notice, for he jumped away to avoid the heat. Genjo stared incredulously, his eyes flicking back and forth between the floor and Blood.

"Hey, midget, you better fix that! I just renovated this place!"

The three of them ignored him, and Shikumo leaped over to Zoji, yelling a war cry, but the thief nimbly dodged his attack and slashed his dagger at Shikumo's side, causing Shikumo to cry out in pain and stumble. Zoji turned and rushed up to Shikumo again to strike him, but was blocked by Blood's staff, which clumsily smacked Shikumo in the shoulder before blocking the dagger.

"You little brat, you're not going to even think of laying a finger on Shikumo," Blood said, through gritted teeth, as he and Zoji locked eyes in a one-on-one battle. "'Cause you know what, if you want to hurt Shikumo, you'll have to step over my dead body first." The corner of Zoji's mouth seemed to twitch upward slightly, and Blood screamed as he was flung back, his staff flying away from the force of Zoji's power pushing Blood away.

"I don't think that will be a problem, sir. You see, Goddess Tsu has given me orders to kill you, as well." Zoji positioned himself to prepare for an attack, his eyes narrowed as he kept his eyes trained on Shikumo.

"Why, you—" Shikumo and Blood both ran towards him now, their weapons raised and their mouths open in a wordless roar. Zoji's eyes seemed to dart around, looking at both of them before ducking away. The two teens' eyes widened, their roar suddenly turning into a cry of shock as they crashed into each other. Genjo seemed to do nothing on the sidelines, only merely raising his eyebrows as he watched the spectacle unfolding before him.

"G-Genjo, help us out here!" Shikumo managed to yell while he disentangled himself from Blood. The mage nodded fervently in agreement, and Genjo shrugged, sliding his sword out of its sheath. The page rushed forward and clashed his blade with Zoji's dagger, sending sparks flying, and he locked eyes with Zoji, just as Blood had. The two of them seemed to be frozen in time, Shikumo thought, as he watched. Genjo seemed to smile. The two of them pushed themselves back, and then charged again at each other again and again, now engaged in a fierce duel.

Shikumo stared at them, openmouthed, until he felt Blood prodding him. "Shikumo, we have to do something," Blood whispered urgently. "We can't let Genjo fight this battle himself—even if Genjo is an experienced fighter, he doesn't know what the Death Angels can do—and frankly, this guy seems pretty dangerous."

Shikumo nodded fervently. "I know, but Blood, how are we supposed to attack him if that kid keeps moving like that? He's way too fast for us."

Blood pondered this for a minute. "Why don't we all just attack him at once, then?"

Shikumo nodded quickly, and they both looked up to see Genjo slash at Zoji, making the rogue flip backwards, out of the door. The three of them rushed out of the house into the bright sunlight, to see—what, exactly? There was nothing out here except for dusty rocks and—

Shikumo screamed as he felt a blade strike him in the arm, and collapsed, clutching the wound with his free hand. Beside him, he could see Zoji land on the ground lightly and kick Blood backwards, making the fire mage stumble and fall just a bit too close to the edge of the cliff for comfort. Shikumo turned to face Zoji.

"Hey!" Shikumo screamed, losing virtually all dignity, "That was cheap! Only cowards would do that!"

"I'm a Death Angel, Shikumo. It doesn't matter what I do." Zoji gave him an empty smile. "All that matters is that I complete my mission by any means necessary."

"You're sick!" Blood yelled, scrambling up and running up to stand by Shikumo. "How could you just kill people without a second thought, just because you were ordered to do it?"

Zoji smirked at him. "I'm sick, you say? Because I kill for my leader? Then what of the two of you? How would you defend the fact that you killed the two—no, three—of my comrades?"

Both the fire mage and the young swordsman gaped at him. "Well, that was in self-defense!" Shikumo protested. "They tried to kill me first!"

"Is that so?" Zoji sighed and ran his finger along the edge of his blade. "Let me see how quickly you can finish me off, then."

"Is that—"

Shikumo was cut off as Zoji charged straight at him, his teeth bared in a snarl as he swung his dagger at the swordsman, who dodged clumsily. The tip of the dagger scratched across his armor.

"Stop it!" Shikumo yelled. "It's not our fault! You're the ones that came after us first!"

"Not your fault?" Zoji laughed. "If you really wished this had never happened, it would have been wiser to just hand over the jewels in the first place!"

Shikumo and Blood glared at him. "You Death Angels never make sense, do you?" Blood raised his staff. "Fire Arrow!"

Zoji dodged it easily, a smirk on his face. "You really expect me to—"

Genjo charged now, swinging his sword without speaking, and Zoji's eyes flickered to the side before he jumped backwards, where Shikumo slashed at him. Zoji inhaled sharply as he pushed off the floor to leap into the air in a flip, as though time had been slowed while he flew—

And then Blood fired again with a shout that echoed across the land. Zoji, seeing the fire shoot towards him while he was upside down, twisted awkwardly to avoid it, but the arrow still seared across his forearm. He hit the rocky ground on his right side, his dagger falling out of his hand, as he rolled to a stop near the edge of the cliff. He swore, clutching at the wound as he struggled to stand.

But the moment both his feet were planted on the ground, Genjo thrust his sword out, so that the tip of the blade hovered mere centimeters away from Zoji's throat. The rogue smiled and closed his eyes.

"Nami…Domo…Is this…what you felt…?"

"What are you talking about, boy?" Genjo snapped. "Explain to me everything that you've done!"

"I understand now…I won't let you down…"

"What are you doing?" Blood yelled. "Shikumo, what's he talking about?!"

"Thank you…" Zoji's smile widened. "And farewell…"

And before any of them could blink, Zoji was falling, falling without a sound, his eyes still closed. Blood cried out, and Genjo slowly lowered his sword. Shikumo simply stared down, watching the figure of the rogue becoming smaller…

Shikumo could have sworn that as Zoji disappeared, he could hear the echoes of a laugh, but it was probably just his imagination.

-0-

"_I refuse to believe this!_"

A wordless howl echoed in the marble room, and Goddess Tsu snarled. Suji paled, stepping a few steps away.

"Goddess, it was only the failure of a simple servant. He did not even possess any of the Jewels."

"It matters not," Tsu spat. "You are my only servant left. If you fail me, I will be sure you pay for it…"

Suji nods silently.

"Even after death, Suji. You know who I am."

Suji paled even further, if that was possible, but he offered a low bow. "Whatever pleases you, my Goddess of Death."

-0-

**Next Chapter: Chapter 4—A Woman's Touch**

-0-

Has anyone else noticed the ridiculous predictability in my story chapters so far? o.O


End file.
